NPA Members in Texas Donate to the East Dallas Boys and Girls Club

The National Pawnbrokers Association held its 1st annual Musical Instrument Gift Day on December 6th.  Pawn shops in 14 states across the country joined forces this holiday season to provide underprivileged children with over 300 musical instruments. Inspiration for the national charity drive came from the example set by St. Nicholas, patron saint of pawnbroking, who was famed for secretly throwing 3 bags of gold into his neighbor’s window in hopes that the neighbor’s daughters would be spared from a life of servitude.  In the spirit of this generosity, Gift Day strives to put musical instruments into the hands of those who need them the most.

Pawnbrokers have a history of giving back to their local communities.  Over the past 8 years, the National Pawnbrokers Association has donated $19,000 to C.O.P.S. (Concerns of Police Survivors), an organization dedicated to providing scholarships to survivors of police officers who’ve fallen in the line of duty.    In San Jose California, pawnbrokers have been coming together to furnish their local public schools’ music departments with instruments.  When the NPA announced the new Gift Day event, they received an outpouring of enthusiasm from its members, who, already actively involved in community outreach, were swift to mobilize.  www.GiftDay.org, the official website where pawnbrokers registered to participate, received eager responses from shop owners from all over the US. 

The Gift Day team immediately took action, helping pawnbrokers tap resources and social connections, helping them pinpoint the organizations in their communities who were seeking assistance, and coordinating with charities to organize donations.  Donation events were being organized in 14 states, at local schools, Boys and Girls Clubs, churches, Veterans Affairs Medial Facilities, and instrument donation organizations, all designed to funnel the instruments directly into the children’s hands. Many pawnbrokers bundled their donations for better impact, but several pawn stores held their own donation events. The effort was calling the attention of local and state legislators, who, if not able to attend the event personally, sent representatives. 

In Georgia, Dave Adelman, the immediate past President of the NPA was able to assemble a superb team of pawnbrokers.  Charles Williams of Chuck’s Gun and Pawn was able to contact Governor Sonny Perdue and arrange a donation event at the Governor’s office.  Students, teachers, and pawnbrokers eagerly listened as the Governor announced he had chosen Drew Charter School to receive the more than 60 instruments contributed.  The event reached the pinnacle of success when a proclamation was issued from the Governor’s office declaring December 6th, 2009, Pawnbrokers Day. 

Lou Tansky, President of the Ohio Pawnbrokers Association, rallied with pawn shops in his state to donate a collection of instruments to a Veteran’s Affairs medical facility that uses music therapy in its treatment program.
 
Pappy Clarke of Pappy’s Pawn in Knoxville, Tennessee made an individual donation to his local school district that struggles to provide instruments for students due to a lack of sufficient state funding.  Pappy wrote an original song for Gift Day and performed it on his evening television news channel.

In South Carolina, pawnbrokers banded together and donated an impressive assortment of instruments to a school for the deaf and blind.  Musical instruments had been on the school’s wish list for quite some time, and the event was held in conjunction with the local Lions Club annual benefit ceremony.  Similar events were held nationwide, often catching the attention of the media, who were swift to cover the story.

Photos of donation events began pouring in to Gift Day team members’ email boxes.  “Being able to see those kids’ faces light up when they got their new instruments was the greatest reward I could have ever hoped for,” said Dave Crume, President of the National Pawnbrokers Association. Crume’s enthusiasm for Gift Day was a motivating force.  Due to the huge success of this year’s event, the National Pawnbrokers Association will be sponsoring the event next year.  Many pawnbrokers found the experience to be so rewarding, they will continue to hold their own donation drives throughout the year. 

For more information, photos of donation events, and links to Gift Day media coverage, visit www.GiftDay.org
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